I got my jetglo 4003 five years ago. I got it out, plugged it in, turned all the dials to max and the classic tone pot pulled out and have been pounding away on it since. No mods, kept the bridge pickup cover. When I'm playing with the band it cuts through with a growl of authority. It's pure, it's raw and it's a Ricky! 💥
I bought one in 1977. I was eighteen and worked extra in the summer. It was a little more than today when you consider the dollar fluctuations but that didn’t matter. I loved mine. Ripped off the plastic thing and installed a bad ass bridge and yll lol that’s it. Through my Ampeg SVY w/8 10’s it was very nice.
Just picked up a 4003 Maple Glo Saturday. It's my 5th Ric bass. I ditch the goofy pickup cover and switch out the neck pickup to a Gemini Wave Rider on all my Ric basses. Great pickup with a bit more punch but keeps the Ric sound. The new 4003 basses are more player friendly as far as truss rod adjustment, intonation, and string height and spacing adjustments. I run flatwounds on mine. Waiting on a black pickguard and truss rod cover to install. Jet Glo is a killer color but seems to sell out quickly.
Yeah the color sure is! Waited 8 months for it! The pickup cover is goofy, not too bothered by it. Agreed the pickups can be a bit stronger but being passive single coil compared to double coil soapbar pickups that I'm used to it was a big dbu drop. Nothing a booster pedal or increasing the gain can't fix. Thank you for watching!
You are the first guy on the internet that ran a ground wire from the copper tape shielding to the tone pot. Usually i see the sections soldered to each other and no wire to a ground on the pots.
It wasn't that terrible without the shielding, but there is a noticeable difference in the noise floor with it. Shielding is good to do in general for the various gigs that have a ton of interference
@@Bassguitarist1985 so how do you like your Rickenbacker? I love them. You seem to be able to get a nice low action on them. I've always liked the way they play.
@@jimh6763 I absolutely love it! It's got the ultra thin neck for 2023 and the action was already super low from Sweetwater. That's exactly how I have all my other basses set up where the strings are behind the frets practically haha. Nothing else sounds like a Rickenbacker but a Rickenbacker. I've played and have a couple knockoff precision and jazz basses that certainly come close to my American Fenders but the Ric is in a tonal spectrum all its own. For now I'm going to leave the bridge pickup cover on I'm not finding it difficult now that I've gotten used to playing to work around it. I can always get an aftermarket bezel if I really wanted to. I have a gig coming up soon and already at rehearsal the band has made positive comments on it. They are certainly conversation pieces for those that recognize them
@@Bassguitarist1985 I've bought two that the previous owner took them off and threw them away. I bought new ones and put them back on. I rest my palm on them. Plus they look better on
@@jimh6763 I'm all for originality as well I can never throw away an original part. I mean I put a piece of paper over the serial number in the electronics cavity just so that it would be preserved lol
I just bought one identical to this one. It has a serial number starting with 2314, so that is the first week in April of "23. Sweetwater said there would be a years wait. Reverb had some new ones for sale. I ordered one from a music store 70 miles away and it was delivered the next day. Couldn't wait to peel off the stickers. I am going to resist the urge to remove the pick-up cover for now. The warranty card has to be sent in within 10 days. The one year warranty starts when it is made, not when it is purchased.
I never sent the warranty card. You get a 2 year warranty from Sweetwater regardless. I hear the warranty with Rickenbacker isn't worth the paper its printed on sadly. My main concern is the neck twisting since that is a common issue. The lacquer cracking is another common issue too. I've kept it in a stable 72-75⁰F and 45-60% humidity environment. So far so good.
Yes. I have a 2016 model. Lotta noise using stereo box I had built for it. I love the new bridge you have on yours. I may eventually have to put a Badass style bridge on mine but for now still great low action without buzz
Does the mute sharpen the note slightly? On the 4001 (or at least the one I own), it causes a tiny sharpening of the note when you apply the mute to the strings. That bridge seems a lot better than the older design I have (I am going to update with the hipshot bridge I think). It is difficult to palm mute on the old bridge design, it is tricky to adust intonation & bridge height as well. But the ricky does sound so unique it is worth the extra hassle.
Hey Brother , I bought a new 4003, I installed an Bartolini 6RT neck 6RC Bridge, sounds Amazing better than stock with no annoying hum, sounds awesome when I Thump!
I am very surprised that they changed the truss rod system and now are able to make slimmer neck. My 4003s has a thick neck profile at the first frets near the headstock, the rest of the neck is a lot slimmer tho. I think it is because of the dual truss rods that need more space. I would love to have a slimmer neck! Also my bass makes a lot of noise compared to my Jazz basses at the same settings. I play with some tube gain growl like Chris Squire and Geddy Lee. I wonder if those 2 did a shielding job?
I have a 2020 ceilo glo 4003s and new bridge is great. My only complaint is the thicker u shaped towards the top of the neck. It’s not terrible it’s just more like a precision but I prefer a jazz neck profile. But I’ve heard the single truss rod models can be harder to repair because there is less access to the top of truss rods. There is a cheap limited edition 4003ac on reverb because the single truss rod broke off at the nut. It will likely need to go back to factory for a costly repair because the fret board will need to be removed to fix it. With dual truss rods there is more access at the top of the rods to replace them. Rich Hoffman has a video on replacing both truss rods on his 4001. I’m sure it isn’t a common issue with the Rick’s new single rods plus most other bass guitars are single rods.
Nice video, thanks. I don't own a Ric, but hope to one day. Do you notice any hum with both volume controls on full? I've heard that cancels hum on single coil pickups, and seems to work well on my jazz basses.
No hum on full for both pickups or single. Long as you are not near any sources of interference its a pretty low noise floor. I heard of older model Rics getting the RWRP mod. But they may have already done that for the newer models www.talkbass.com/threads/rickenbacker-4003-rwrp-bridge-pickup-mod-tutorial.761909/
The pickups are single coil and they hum like single coil's do. Stock, they do NOT cancel hum when both volume pots are turned up full like they would on a stock Fender Jazz bass. There is a fairly easy mod to do on a 4003's bridge pickup which will give that hum cancelling feature. It requires removing that pickup's magnet, then rotating it 180 degrees horizontally before reattaching, then reverse resoldering the two pickups leads (hot vs cold) back at it's pot connection points. I've done this mod to two modern 4003 basses with excellent, expected results, now functions same as a stock Fender Jazz bass. Does require a soldering iron and may take 30 to 45 minutes if doing this mod for the first time. Requires no additional outside parts or hardware. Do a web search and you can find a proper explanation how to do the procedure.
Nice one mate. I have a '76 Rickenbacker and its the most beautifull and best bass in the world. Its my work horse but I have to admit that i would love a 2023 4003....
I do too! The dual truss rods can be adjusted, but you have to be so diligent equally adjusting them by feel. Its not as easy as it sounds. Plus with fluctuating temps and RH, its even more difficult.
Is is a basebat neck? The other bass player had one in my church and I played it sometimes. The neck was incredibly thick for me after playing Jazz basses.
Been playing them from the early 70,s with no shielding and going through big stacks without any issues. I have a 77 mapleglow but rarely use it live now…too precious. I currently use a Fender boxer 2nd edition Jazz bass special which to my ears and mind is the best Fender ever made and it’s Japanese.Anyway congratulations and I hope you have as much fun with Mr Ric as I did with mine over the years they are unique.🇬🇧🏴
Thank you! For the research and testing I think I discovered why the Ric is more noisy than I expected. My house I live within a thousand feet of a large electrical substation. Some more likely than not I'm guessing that area with very large transformers is bleeding 60 hz buzz in the area. I have played a few gigs with it already and it's dead quiet like not even a little bit.
@@Bassguitarist1985 Yeah I think you’ve probably nailed the problem there….if it’s doing that to the bass though I would be a tad concerned about what it’s also doing to your health mate. I think I’d be looking for a move in your situation. Anyway you’ve got yself a lovely bass there enjoy and rock on.🇬🇧🏴
Rick's are single trust rod ! I've owner a lot of rickenbacker basses and, some sound amazing. Other basses sounded like shit. I just wish they would bring back burgundy glow, that was their best finish
Beautiful bass. Even if I could justify the instrument, I couldn't afford the Ampeg or Marshall amplification! I've only played one once (back in the 90s) and my impression was that it needs the right amplification. It really didn't seem to get on with the Trace Elliott I was buying at the time.
So far it sounds great with my Peavey gear! Much of their bass guitar gear is neutral sounding so it gives you a blank canvas with the preamps and amps you use. Definitely been on my bucket list of bass guitars to have. I got maybe two more specific bass guitars I want to own but that will take a little while to be in a position to get them. I think I'll stop at 16!
I don’t use stacks anymore live. I put my Ric through a little Roland cube 60. DI’d through the PA 5K Yamaha and throw the full Ric sound right out front, bolloks to carting car sized speakers around I’m over 70 now 😂🇬🇧🏴
Let’s be honest it has its problems bridge, nut specific string gauges, the annoying pickup cover etc.. but it is a beautiful bass and the sound is iconic
I'd suggest you get yourself an evaporative humidifier. If you're using tap water in that cool-spray vaporizer humididier, as most people using them do, tap water has mineral content, and the minerals in the water settle out as a white dust on everything in the room, including some that gets into your controls, making them "scratchy".
That's exactly what the Rick o sound is set up for. A tip ring sleeve Jack for that feature plus a mono jack, skipping the need for a toggle switch. One less moving part. I've yet to really take advantage of this feature but I will be experimenting with it in the coming weeks. I would really love to try it on the next gig if I could.
No tail lift with the new bridge, the string block is separate from the tailpiece. I have never shielded any single coil instrument and it’s 90% of my collection, a single noise gate solves all… but I never use it…
Bought mine in 88. Was enjoying your video…to a point! Lol. I mean…take the sticker off and plug it in before you adjust the mutes…that no one uses! Lmao! It’s been my main bass since Reagan was president. Enjoy it. But…you’ll need to keep the P bass on your wall…trust. ;)
Maybe not from Rickenbacker, but Sweetwater still will warranty it. I even told my rep about it and he said that it will not void the warranty. A warranty states that any modification of the bass that directly impacts the issue they will deny the claim. So a shield job is not going to cause the neck to twist for example. That would most certainly be a manufacturer's defect and would be covered
I kind of feel like your gripe about shielding is mute. My 83 4003 is dead stock and doesn’t buzz to any noticeable degree. My 99 has a slight hum but my rig has a noise gate. Jazz basses only him if you roll one of the volume knobs off, and a P bass even though it has two single coils, is a humbucker. If you feel you “need to shield” something or do anything to these basses, you either have extremely high expectations or you have no users what you’re getting into. Rickenbacker also has the strictest warranty on the planet. Good luck.
Thank you for your reply. Yeah the warranty with Rickenbacker is insane to the point where it's not even worth having it. I am aware that I've pretty much voided the warranty by shielding it which seems asinine but other people have said that to me. To that point the results are far better than with it unshielded. How they made it in 1983 and 1999 I'm sure is not that much different than this one made in 2023 but even small changes in materials can have an effect. My only concern is of hearing about how the necks can potentially twist if they are exposed to extreme environments. Other than that I can handle pretty much anything else. Sweetwater offers their own 2-year warranty independent of Rickenbacker so I am at least covered there.
Thanks for posting this. I got a fireglo 4003 yesterday and I am really disappointed with it. I can't believe that for a £3k instrument, there's no shielding - it hums badly. The pickup selector switch looks like it should be on some cheap £100 instrument. I paid £35 for a pickup bezel with thumb rest to replace the awful pickup cover. It's the most expensive piece of plastic I think I've ever bought and the thumb rest? It's certainly not big enough to rest my thumb on. It's a shame as I've wanted a Rick for years to get the Geddy/Chris Squire/Bruce Foxton sound and I feel really let down. To be fair, it's lighter than my Fenders and almost as easy on my back as a Shuker Zenith, but the Shuker cost slightly less than the Rick, is hand made, better built and delivers so much more. I may come to love the Rick in time I guess.
@@jamesprestonuk I'm sorry to hear. Sounds like you and I have similar grievances about the instrument as it comes from the factory. I agree it should not cost as much but because they are the only ones that are allowed to make the body form they pretty much control the market pricing on them. This also in turn makes the classic ones even more expensive. It's a very good instrument and it is built well It just needs a lot more refinement for the cost it is sold at. Once these refinements are done then I think in time you will learn to love it. Do keep me posted. I really love mine, but it's the nature of owning a Rickenbacker it has its quirks.
@@Bassguitarist1985 thanks for your reply. I'm going to get it shielded, look into replacing the pickup switch with something much more solid and stick some Rotosounds on it. I'm really gutted - I just expected so much more. That's life I guess. Take care!
@jamesprestonuk when you get the updated components and the shielding done let me know what you think after that. I think once you correct some of the shortcomings the instrument is going to be much more appealing in the long term to the player
@jamesprestonuk Amen to that. It's not just limited to Rickenbacker unfortunately. I have the flagship line Fender Ultra basses that do not have any shielding either. Maybe they started shielding them again for the Ultra American II series after so many people complained who knows.
The lamborghini of basses. Meaning as an analogy its not actually as good as basses much cheaper than it and is very expensive and difficult to maintain. But it makes a nice sound and is fucking cool and everyone thinks you're cool if you own one :) (Mine is a 1994 4003 jetglo) if you take the pointless bridge pickup cover off you're a quitter and a loser and i disagree with you.
The pickup cover isn't coming off, it doesn't bother me as much as it does others apparently. Some older models the cover was part of the pickup and not removable. Imagine the limitation of that forcing them to play with it. The modern people have it easy if they so chose to remove it.
The expert that can't play, your shielding made no difference, and your bass is out of tune. If you are gonna try play Rush material practice more buddy.
I never claimed to be an expert. Yes the shielding did help to take the noise floor down. Granted if you are extremely close to a noise source no amount of shielding will help. If you don't like the video then don't watch it.
@@frauddetector6129 I've always wanted one and I've done plenty of research to know where their pitfalls and their advantages are. Certainly there is a learning curve for actually playing one for the first time but nothing else sounds like them and I'm grateful to have it. The mods do make a difference. Every bass guitar should have electronics shielding.
I got my jetglo 4003 five years ago. I got it out, plugged it in, turned all the dials to max and the classic tone pot pulled out and have been pounding away on it since. No mods, kept the bridge pickup cover. When I'm playing with the band it cuts through with a growl of authority. It's pure, it's raw and it's a Ricky! 💥
Congratulations. Beautiful looking.
Thank you!
I bought one in 1977. I was eighteen and worked extra in the summer. It was a little more than today when you consider the dollar fluctuations but that didn’t matter. I loved mine. Ripped off the plastic thing and installed a bad ass bridge and yll lol that’s it. Through my Ampeg SVY w/8 10’s it was very nice.
Just picked up a 4003 Maple Glo Saturday. It's my 5th Ric bass. I ditch the goofy pickup cover and switch out the neck pickup to a Gemini Wave Rider on all my Ric basses. Great pickup with a bit more punch but keeps the Ric sound. The new 4003 basses are more player friendly as far as truss rod adjustment, intonation, and string height and spacing adjustments. I run flatwounds on mine. Waiting on a black pickguard and truss rod cover to install. Jet Glo is a killer color but seems to sell out quickly.
Yeah the color sure is! Waited 8 months for it! The pickup cover is goofy, not too bothered by it. Agreed the pickups can be a bit stronger but being passive single coil compared to double coil soapbar pickups that I'm used to it was a big dbu drop. Nothing a booster pedal or increasing the gain can't fix. Thank you for watching!
Just got an 08 4003 from my local music store about a month ago and so far has been the best bass ive owned
That is one beautiful Rickenbacker bass and it sounds great! The new bridge/tailpiece is a nice upgrade along with the single truss rod. Enjoy!
Thank you so very much!
@@Bassguitarist1985 , you're welcome.
You are the first guy on the internet that ran a ground wire from the copper tape shielding to the tone pot. Usually i see the sections soldered to each other and no wire to a ground on the pots.
That's how I was taught! It really has made a difference too. Thank you for watching!
I have 3 Rickenbackers. Never had an issue with the shielding. Don't really get any interference noise.
It wasn't that terrible without the shielding, but there is a noticeable difference in the noise floor with it. Shielding is good to do in general for the various gigs that have a ton of interference
@@Bassguitarist1985 so how do you like your Rickenbacker? I love them. You seem to be able to get a nice low action on them. I've always liked the way they play.
@@jimh6763 I absolutely love it! It's got the ultra thin neck for 2023 and the action was already super low from Sweetwater. That's exactly how I have all my other basses set up where the strings are behind the frets practically haha. Nothing else sounds like a Rickenbacker but a Rickenbacker. I've played and have a couple knockoff precision and jazz basses that certainly come close to my American Fenders but the Ric is in a tonal spectrum all its own.
For now I'm going to leave the bridge pickup cover on I'm not finding it difficult now that I've gotten used to playing to work around it. I can always get an aftermarket bezel if I really wanted to. I have a gig coming up soon and already at rehearsal the band has made positive comments on it. They are certainly conversation pieces for those that recognize them
@@Bassguitarist1985 I've bought two that the previous owner took them off and threw them away. I bought new ones and put them back on. I rest my palm on them. Plus they look better on
@@jimh6763 I'm all for originality as well I can never throw away an original part. I mean I put a piece of paper over the serial number in the electronics cavity just so that it would be preserved lol
I just bought one identical to this one. It has a serial number starting with 2314, so that is the first week in April of "23. Sweetwater said there would be a years wait. Reverb had some new ones for sale. I ordered one from a music store 70 miles away and it was delivered the next day. Couldn't wait to peel off the stickers. I am going to resist the urge to remove the pick-up cover for now. The warranty card has to be sent in within 10 days. The one year warranty starts when it is made, not when it is purchased.
I never sent the warranty card. You get a 2 year warranty from Sweetwater regardless. I hear the warranty with Rickenbacker isn't worth the paper its printed on sadly.
My main concern is the neck twisting since that is a common issue. The lacquer cracking is another common issue too. I've kept it in a stable 72-75⁰F and 45-60% humidity environment. So far so good.
Nice work and and a good walk through on this bass congratulations
I have one , in a matt maple , played it last Friday through an orange 500 watt set up , it sounded amazing !
Yes. I have a 2016 model. Lotta noise using stereo box I had built for it. I love the new bridge you have on yours. I may eventually have to put a Badass style bridge on mine but for now still great low action without buzz
@@danielrodcf use an isolation transformers between the two amplifiers. I did a video on a it awhile back. Works like a charm!
Nice bass and playing. I bought my 1979 RIC bass in 1986. It's what you'd call road worn.
Niice! Yeah really love the Ric sound. Plenty of mid range bite!
Does the mute sharpen the note slightly? On the 4001 (or at least the one I own), it causes a tiny sharpening of the note when you apply the mute to the strings.
That bridge seems a lot better than the older design I have (I am going to update with the hipshot bridge I think). It is difficult to palm mute on the old bridge design, it is tricky to adust intonation & bridge height as well.
But the ricky does sound so unique it is worth the extra hassle.
@@veganbodybuilding it does sharpen a bit yes. Yeah Ricky's are cumbersome but nothing else sounds like them!
Hey Brother , I bought a new 4003, I installed an Bartolini 6RT neck 6RC Bridge, sounds Amazing better than stock with no annoying hum, sounds awesome when I Thump!
I agree with you about the shielding but there is one thing to point out. A P-bass pickup is not a single coil and doesn't need shielding.
It is two single coils wired in series with one in reverse polarity to cancel any hum. Still worth shielding.
I noticed they changed the bridge. Best thing they every did with them.
I am very surprised that they changed the truss rod system and now are able to make slimmer neck. My 4003s has a thick neck profile at the first frets near the headstock, the rest of the neck is a lot slimmer tho. I think it is because of the dual truss rods that need more space. I would love to have a slimmer neck!
Also my bass makes a lot of noise compared to my Jazz basses at the same settings. I play with some tube gain growl like Chris Squire and Geddy Lee. I wonder if those 2 did a shielding job?
They most likely did! Its a worthy upgrade! Yeah this neck is SUPER THIN PROFILE!
I have a 2020 ceilo glo 4003s and new bridge is great. My only complaint is the thicker u shaped towards the top of the neck. It’s not terrible it’s just more like a precision but I prefer a jazz neck profile. But I’ve heard the single truss rod models can be harder to repair because there is less access to the top of truss rods. There is a cheap limited edition 4003ac on reverb because the single truss rod broke off at the nut. It will likely need to go back to factory for a costly repair because the fret board will need to be removed to fix it. With dual truss rods there is more access at the top of the rods to replace them. Rich Hoffman has a video on replacing both truss rods on his 4001. I’m sure it isn’t a common issue with the Rick’s new single rods plus most other bass guitars are single rods.
Nice video, thanks.
I don't own a Ric, but hope to one day.
Do you notice any hum with both volume controls on full? I've heard that cancels hum on single coil pickups, and seems to work well on my jazz basses.
No hum on full for both pickups or single. Long as you are not near any sources of interference its a pretty low noise floor. I heard of older model Rics getting the RWRP mod. But they may have already done that for the newer models
www.talkbass.com/threads/rickenbacker-4003-rwrp-bridge-pickup-mod-tutorial.761909/
The pickups are single coil and they hum like single coil's do. Stock, they do NOT cancel hum when both volume pots are turned up full like they would on a stock Fender Jazz bass.
There is a fairly easy mod to do on a 4003's bridge pickup which will give that hum cancelling feature. It requires removing that pickup's magnet, then rotating it 180 degrees horizontally before reattaching, then reverse resoldering the two pickups leads (hot vs cold) back at it's pot connection points.
I've done this mod to two modern 4003 basses with excellent, expected results, now functions same as a stock Fender Jazz bass. Does require a soldering iron and may take 30 to 45 minutes if doing this mod for the first time. Requires no additional outside parts or hardware.
Do a web search and you can find a proper explanation how to do the procedure.
I’ve had a 4003 in Fireglo since 2017, looking for a RIC-O-SOUND box. I’m interested in what you get.
Nice one mate. I have a '76 Rickenbacker and its the most beautifull and best bass in the world. Its my work horse but I have to admit that i would love a 2023 4003....
I just got my Ricky yesterday too, they must be twins!
How are you liking it? Or not? These basses i will say are not without their quirks, but nothing else sounds like them.
Cheers dude! happy trails to you...
Thanks! 👍
The new 4003’s are a single truss rod? Nice! My 2016 is Dual and is a pain in the A$$! I like the concept of the new bridge too.
I do too! The dual truss rods can be adjusted, but you have to be so diligent equally adjusting them by feel. Its not as easy as it sounds. Plus with fluctuating temps and RH, its even more difficult.
Is is a basebat neck? The other bass player had one in my church and I played it sometimes. The neck was incredibly thick for me after playing Jazz basses.
No the new style is super thin!!!
Been playing them from the early 70,s with no shielding and going through big stacks without any issues. I have a 77 mapleglow but rarely use it live now…too precious. I currently use a Fender boxer 2nd edition Jazz bass special which to my ears and mind is the best Fender ever made and it’s Japanese.Anyway congratulations and I hope you have as much fun with Mr Ric as I did with mine over the years they are unique.🇬🇧🏴
Thank you! For the research and testing I think I discovered why the Ric is more noisy than I expected. My house I live within a thousand feet of a large electrical substation. Some more likely than not I'm guessing that area with very large transformers is bleeding 60 hz buzz in the area. I have played a few gigs with it already and it's dead quiet like not even a little bit.
@@Bassguitarist1985 Yeah I think you’ve probably nailed the problem there….if it’s doing that to the bass though I would be a tad concerned about what it’s also doing to your health mate. I think I’d be looking for a move in your situation. Anyway you’ve got yself a lovely bass there enjoy and rock on.🇬🇧🏴
Sweet Rickey!
Thank you!!!!
GREAT JOB ! Informative + Fun
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!
Rick's are single trust rod ! I've owner a lot of rickenbacker basses and, some sound amazing. Other basses sounded like shit. I just wish they would bring back burgundy glow, that was their best finish
Mine is twin truss rods as my previous two were and so are the guitars 6 string. Currently using a 77….4001🇬🇧🏴
Thank you!
Beautiful bass. Even if I could justify the instrument, I couldn't afford the Ampeg or Marshall amplification!
I've only played one once (back in the 90s) and my impression was that it needs the right amplification. It really didn't seem to get on with the Trace Elliott I was buying at the time.
So far it sounds great with my Peavey gear! Much of their bass guitar gear is neutral sounding so it gives you a blank canvas with the preamps and amps you use. Definitely been on my bucket list of bass guitars to have. I got maybe two more specific bass guitars I want to own but that will take a little while to be in a position to get them. I think I'll stop at 16!
I think Ampeg is the best for Rickenbacker. I've used a B15, and it sounds great.
@@jimh6763 i do like Ampeg. I find I can get a close emulation with the Sansamp and other pedals. Agreed though nothing beats that SVT voicing.
I don’t use stacks anymore live. I put my Ric through a little Roland cube 60. DI’d through the PA 5K Yamaha and throw the full Ric sound right out front, bolloks to carting car sized speakers around I’m over 70 now 😂🇬🇧🏴
Let’s be honest it has its problems bridge, nut specific string gauges, the annoying pickup cover etc.. but it is a beautiful bass and the sound is iconic
@@ChrisJohnsonChannel Amen to that!!
I'd suggest you get yourself an evaporative humidifier. If you're using tap water in that cool-spray vaporizer humididier, as most people using them do, tap water has mineral content, and the minerals in the water settle out as a white dust on everything in the room, including some that gets into your controls, making them "scratchy".
Thank you for the tip!
The bizarre thing about the 'ricko sound' is that it could be more easily achieved with a single TRS jack and a two way switch.
That's exactly what the Rick o sound is set up for. A tip ring sleeve Jack for that feature plus a mono jack, skipping the need for a toggle switch. One less moving part.
I've yet to really take advantage of this feature but I will be experimenting with it in the coming weeks. I would really love to try it on the next gig if I could.
I will probably add normal mono switching nc jack
1neck
2neck+bridge/ bridge when jack is inserted in 1
No tail lift with the new bridge, the string block is separate from the tailpiece. I have never shielded any single coil instrument and it’s 90% of my collection, a single noise gate solves all… but I never use it…
Good info thank you for that. Yeah a noise gate may be next on my pedal list
Bought mine in 88. Was enjoying your video…to a point! Lol. I mean…take the sticker off and plug it in before you adjust the mutes…that no one uses! Lmao! It’s been my main bass since Reagan was president. Enjoy it. But…you’ll need to keep the P bass on your wall…trust. ;)
@@DavidSenderoff absolutely will keep the precision. It's my main recording bass. Thank you for watching!
it's not under warranty anymore.
Maybe not from Rickenbacker, but Sweetwater still will warranty it. I even told my rep about it and he said that it will not void the warranty. A warranty states that any modification of the bass that directly impacts the issue they will deny the claim. So a shield job is not going to cause the neck to twist for example. That would most certainly be a manufacturer's defect and would be covered
I kind of feel like your gripe about shielding is mute. My 83 4003 is dead stock and doesn’t buzz to any noticeable degree. My 99 has a slight hum but my rig has a noise gate. Jazz basses only him if you roll one of the volume knobs off, and a P bass even though it has two single coils, is a humbucker. If you feel you “need to shield” something or do anything to these basses, you either have extremely high expectations or you have no users what you’re getting into. Rickenbacker also has the strictest warranty on the planet. Good luck.
Thank you for your reply. Yeah the warranty with Rickenbacker is insane to the point where it's not even worth having it. I am aware that I've pretty much voided the warranty by shielding it which seems asinine but other people have said that to me. To that point the results are far better than with it unshielded. How they made it in 1983 and 1999 I'm sure is not that much different than this one made in 2023 but even small changes in materials can have an effect.
My only concern is of hearing about how the necks can potentially twist if they are exposed to extreme environments. Other than that I can handle pretty much anything else. Sweetwater offers their own 2-year warranty independent of Rickenbacker so I am at least covered there.
Thanks for posting this. I got a fireglo 4003 yesterday and I am really disappointed with it. I can't believe that for a £3k instrument, there's no shielding - it hums badly. The pickup selector switch looks like it should be on some cheap £100 instrument. I paid £35 for a pickup bezel with thumb rest to replace the awful pickup cover. It's the most expensive piece of plastic I think I've ever bought and the thumb rest? It's certainly not big enough to rest my thumb on. It's a shame as I've wanted a Rick for years to get the Geddy/Chris Squire/Bruce Foxton sound and I feel really let down. To be fair, it's lighter than my Fenders and almost as easy on my back as a Shuker Zenith, but the Shuker cost slightly less than the Rick, is hand made, better built and delivers so much more. I may come to love the Rick in time I guess.
@@jamesprestonuk I'm sorry to hear. Sounds like you and I have similar grievances about the instrument as it comes from the factory. I agree it should not cost as much but because they are the only ones that are allowed to make the body form they pretty much control the market pricing on them. This also in turn makes the classic ones even more expensive.
It's a very good instrument and it is built well It just needs a lot more refinement for the cost it is sold at. Once these refinements are done then I think in time you will learn to love it. Do keep me posted. I really love mine, but it's the nature of owning a Rickenbacker it has its quirks.
@@Bassguitarist1985 thanks for your reply. I'm going to get it shielded, look into replacing the pickup switch with something much more solid and stick some Rotosounds on it. I'm really gutted - I just expected so much more. That's life I guess. Take care!
@jamesprestonuk when you get the updated components and the shielding done let me know what you think after that. I think once you correct some of the shortcomings the instrument is going to be much more appealing in the long term to the player
@@Bassguitarist1985 I will. It's just a shame that the end buyer has to fix what should be done in the factory!
@jamesprestonuk Amen to that. It's not just limited to Rickenbacker unfortunately. I have the flagship line Fender Ultra basses that do not have any shielding either. Maybe they started shielding them again for the Ultra American II series after so many people complained who knows.
The lamborghini of basses. Meaning as an analogy its not actually as good as basses much cheaper than it and is very expensive and difficult to maintain.
But it makes a nice sound and is fucking cool and everyone thinks you're cool if you own one :)
(Mine is a 1994 4003 jetglo)
if you take the pointless bridge pickup cover off you're a quitter and a loser and i disagree with you.
The pickup cover isn't coming off, it doesn't bother me as much as it does others apparently. Some older models the cover was part of the pickup and not removable. Imagine the limitation of that forcing them to play with it. The modern people have it easy if they so chose to remove it.
@@Bassguitarist1985 People are outright angry at me for not removing it lol.
Bro take off the pickup cover, it's garbage has no purpose being there other than aesthetic
@@Nopulu I like it for the aesthetic. Plus some older models you had no choice since the cover was part of the shield for the horseshoe pickup.
The expert that can't play, your shielding made no difference, and your bass is out of tune. If you are gonna try play Rush material practice more buddy.
I never claimed to be an expert. Yes the shielding did help to take the noise floor down. Granted if you are extremely close to a noise source no amount of shielding will help. If you don't like the video then don't watch it.
Recently bought a '79 in excellent to mint condition vintage condition.
Not quite sure why you'd by a Rick if you'd never played one. Personally dont think the mods make a huge difference.
@@frauddetector6129 I've always wanted one and I've done plenty of research to know where their pitfalls and their advantages are. Certainly there is a learning curve for actually playing one for the first time but nothing else sounds like them and I'm grateful to have it. The mods do make a difference. Every bass guitar should have electronics shielding.